Night surfing is a novelty. An incredible looking novelty, but a novelty no less. Sure, every now and then it’s fun to surf under an incredibly bright moon, but it’s not something that anyone chooses to exclusively do. Step up the regular moonlight session about 10 notches and you’ve got Off the Wall a few days ago, complete with very bright lights and spitting tubes. Throw in a couple of videographers, and you’ve got a clip that’s pretty damn entertaining.

The Lent home and the illegal staircase that currently blocks beach access. Photo: Surfrider

When it comes to natural resources, few violations offend more than individuals making money by illegally taking what belongs to the public. Blocking coastal access is theft from the beginning. People who deny California residents and visitors the right to immerse themselves in the joy of the beach are stealing a priceless experience guaranteed by our Coastal Act.

Yesterday, for the first time, the California Coastal Commission demanded the people be paid back.

But before we get to that, we have to rewind a bit further, to 2014. Because, until then, the only way commission staff could stop property owners from illegally blocking public beach access was to take offenders to court. This costly and time-consuming excursion significantly disadvantaged the agency against wealthy beachfront property owners and homeowner associations, a conundrum that inspired then-California Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins to change things. She successfully enabled the Coastal Commission to enforce coastal access violations by levying fines against violators. Since that time, the threat of financial punishment has been enough to encourage violators to respond appropriately when, for example, they’re caught putting up fences, gates, illegal “No Trespassing” or “No Parking” signs, or otherwise physically blocking or intimidating potential visitors from accessing the coast.

Dr. Warren Lent, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, was less cooperative. Which brings us back to the Thursday, Dec. 8 meeting of the California Coastal Commission, where the case of Dr. Lent’s willful and extended disregard of the Coastal Act provided Commissioners with the first opportunity to levy those much-lauded, never-before-used fines. The question was, would they? And to what what extent?

This ‘Private Beach’ can be yours – for $1,018 per night

Dr. Lent has owned a house on Las Flores Beach in Malibu since 2002, operating it as a temporary vacation rental, advertised on VRBO.com for an average rate of $1,018 per night, $9,200 per week and $32,000 per month. Part of the rental’s appeal in the listings is the promise of a “private beach.” Which the beach more or less is – illegally. Where the public access point should be, instead a private stairway, fence and gate exist. The Lents have refused to remove this unpermitted development and otherwise resolve outstanding Coastal Act violations since 2007, essentially trading on the public trust for personal profit.

It gets worse.

That all of the public has a right to enjoy coastal access for recreation is critical to social and environmental justice. The blocked public access point in question sits in the middle of a three-mile stretch of coastline – the nearest path from the street to the sand is at Carbon Beach, 1.7 miles away. The Las Flores access point should be serving as a gateway to the beach, not creating a gated beach. This is especially important for nearby San Fernando Valley residents, many of whom face obstacles just getting to the coast. To be at the beach and not be able to get to the beach adds insult to injury.

An ‘inordinate’ amount of time

The Lents spent over nine years arguing against the public’s right-of-way. These arguments kept the Coastal Conservancy from being able to build a public walkway and caused commission staff to spend an inordinate amount of time rebutting these arguments. This is absurd. Case law is clear – property owners must comply with Coastal Development Permit (CDP) conditions and resolve existing Coastal Act violations.

That brings us to the hearing.

$950,000 vs $8.4 million

Surfrider staff and volunteers from the Ventura and West L.A.-Malibu chapter attended and spoke up in support of enforcement staff’s recommendation that fines be levied. We did have one point of disagreement with staff, however. Where they requested a “conservative” penalty of $950,000, we asked commissioners to consider applying the full penalty of approximately $8.4 million supported by the 2014 statue. Our argument: Given how much money was made advertising and selling the public trust as a private beach, $950,000 was far too little. We believe willful and prolonged refusal to obey the law should not be rewarded by a reduction in consequences.

Victory

Commissioners agreed the proposed fine wasn’t enough. After much discussion about how much it should be – and nearly as much commenting on the “egregious” nature of the violations – the commissioners unanimously agreed that a fine of $4.1 million, half the maximum, would be most appropriate considering how long the public has been kept from this beach, how staunchly Dr. Lent refused to consider a reasonable settlement and the extremely unreasonable amount of time state agencies were forced to spend on this issue as a result. Part of the fine will be used, appropriately, to build the long-awaited public stairway.

In short, commissioners utilized the civil penalty authority provided by the state in exactly the way it was intended – as a deterrent and, if that fails, to address this kind of untenable situation. With this decision, commissioners showed that the state will not tolerate those who attempt to make our public beaches a private playground. They affirmed the work of enforcement staff, showed commitment to the Coastal Act, gave warning to potential future violators and acted as champions on behalf of all the people of California.

As a cheeky tribute to Osman, Honnold decided to smash Osman’s record on the route — while sporting an Osman-esque wig and shades. Honnold was able to shave off just 10 seconds of Osman’s time, a sure testament to Osman’s soloing skill some 20 years later. But the real skill in Honnold’s stunt, an ad for a health insurance company, was doing the climb with an ounce of the style and flair Osman had. And for that, Honnold needed a costume and a live rock band.

Mason Ho is nuts. But you already knew that. It’s so nice that he continues to remind us, though. Here’s one particularly unenviable wave where Mason pulls into a barrel, makes it out, then proceeds to literally jump over a dry rockpile on the shoulder. It’s hard to tell, but this spot doesn’t look particularly crowded. There’s only one other guy in the clip and he doesn’t look very enthused to be out there anyway.

]]>http://www.theinertia.com/surf/watch-mason-ho-get-barreled-really-close-to-rocks-then-jump-over-them/feed/0Gavin Beschen at Home on the North Shorehttp://www.theinertia.com/surf/gavin-beschen-at-home-on-the-north-shore/
http://www.theinertia.com/surf/gavin-beschen-at-home-on-the-north-shore/#respondFri, 09 Dec 2016 20:03:17 +0000http://www.theinertia.com/?p=146235

Gavin Beschen has made a pretty damn good life for himself. After growing up in San Clemente, Gavin decided that California wasn’t cutting it anymore. He finished high school, packed his bags, and headed for Hawaii, then spent the next two decades surfing, smiling, and generally living his life exactly how he wanted to… and by nearly every standard, he’s done everything right.

It takes a certain kind of person to pursue big wave surfing as a career, and not just for the obvious reason that 99.99% of people on planet Earth would never want to put themselves in a situation where they’re riding a wave the size of a 10-story building. Big wave surfers are notoriously underpaid, their pursuit of death defying surf is a microcosm for taking a serious leap of faith. And yet, when everything comes together, the fruits are sweet.

The title of South African surfer Matt Bromley and filmer Guy Mac’s new film, Risky Business, isn’t just about the act of riding big waves. As the description on Vimeo says, “Matt and Guy both stretched themselves to make this film a reality; traveling in debt and in fear of not knowing what was around the next swell. All their equipment was stolen in Portugal and they suffered many other hardships along the way, but as Matt reports, ‘It was worth every moment of risk, and made the journey and exeprience that much more unforgettable.'”

The result of pursuing the unknown and venturing around the world for the love is a 25-minute love letter to big wave surfing, and a reminder of the merits of chasing your dreams with reckless abandon.

On Tuesday night, an Irvine, Calif. resident called police because he thought someone had broken into his home. Police didn’t find a burglar, but spotted white powder scattered around the home’s interior.

Thinking they’d stumbled into a drug lab, they dispatched a SWAT Team and commenced a 13-hour hazardous materials probe. During which two officers complained of dizziness, “became ill” and were sent to the hospital. Three nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.

While in custody, the home’s resident was described as “evasive,” by police, so they didn’t get much info.

Nevertheless, twelve hours later, the hospitalized police were fine and the home was dusted with chalk. They’d realized: Ohhhhh, this dude scales stone, telling the OC Register: “The subject described himself as an avid rock climber or mountaineer,” and “all of this stuff makes sense in that context.”

And that’s the least-weird part. Here’s where it gets bizarre: Police said the house was a “low oxygen environment,” which perhaps explains why the afflicted cops felt unwell. And climber’s chalk wasn’t the only substance found. Police detected calcium sulfate, too—normally used to absorb moisture (it’s in those little packets that say “Do Not Eat”).

But apparently this guy was using it to purposely create a low oxygen environment. Why? He’s training to climb Mt. Everest, neighbors said.

“This is the environment he sets up to deplete the oxygen in a room to help with his training,” police told reporters.

The California Coastal Commission finally worked up the chutzpah to fine Malibu property owners who have long blocked off public beach access with fences, gates and other obstructions. For the first time in its history, on Thursday the commission actually levied fines, slapping two property owners with a total of just over $5 million in penalties, according to the L.A. Times.

First, understand this: 19 out of 29 public easements in Malibu are illegally blocked off by property owners who flout the law and ignore coastal commission requests to open the access points.

“It’s clear that they are dragging this on as long as they can and damaging the public’s right to use the beach,” said Commissioner Mark Vargas.

The commission also settled a dispute with the owners of the $80 million Malibu Beach Inn at Carbon Beach, aka “Billionaire’s Beach.” A string of owners, including the Hollywood moguls David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, have refused to install two beach access stairways required by law. Under the agreement, current owners Mani Brothers Real Estate Group will have to build a half-million dollar crosswalk and pay another combined half million dollars in fines and conservation fees.

Not only did Tyler Wright win the world title, the Australian Olympic Committee was so impressed with her that they’re spreading the wealth. Photo: WSL / Poullenot/Aquashot

Surfing is officially in the Olympics, and there are a few people who are livid about it. You know who’s not livid, though? The 2016 World Champion, Tyler Wright. That’s because the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) just decided she should get a pretty decent chunk of something called the Medal Incentive Funding program (MIF), a piggy bank with just over a million dollars in it that’s set aside to encourage Australian athletes to keep being athletes.

It’s not just Tyler, either. Because the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo has five new sports included, AOC big wigs decided to cut in Australian athletes who compete in the recently added sports based on their performance and their likely performance at the Olympics. Both Tyler Wright and 2016 SLS skateboarding champion Shane O’Neill are pocketing an extra $20,000 that they didn’t know they were getting. So far this year, Tyler Wright has won a pretty staggering $400,500. That’s not including whatever she gets from sponsorships, so $20,000 is something of a small drop in a deep bucket. It’s the thought that counts, though, right?

“Surfing is excited to be part of the Olympic movement and this extra funding from the AOC provides added incentive for our world tour athletes to achieve strong and consistent results leading into Tokyo in 2020,” said Layne Beachley, Surfing Australia Chair. “I am incredibly proud of Tyler Wright’s dominant performance on the 2016 WSL Women’s World Tour and have no doubt her outstanding achievements will inspire a generation of future World Champions and Olympians.”

Wright’s performance in 2016 was, as Beachley said, dominant. One of the most dominant campaigns in surfing’s history, in fact. From the outset of the year, it was obvious that Wright was the one to watch, and she didn’t let up on the gas once. “I sincerely appreciate the support from the AOC,” she said, “and am really looking forward to the opportunity to represent Australia on an Olympic stage.”

This advanced pose is known as Camel. It improves spine and shoulder mobility, strengthening the thighs and back. It will also stretch your feet, ankles, quads, hip flexors, abs, chest and shoulders.

Instructions

-From kneeling, lift your hips up and separate your knees to hip-width apart. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into the mat.
-Bring the palms of your hands to your lower back with your fingertips pointing down.
-Squeeze your shoulder blades together to open up your chest.
-Lean back into a gentle backbend, look straight ahead and tuck your chin to your chest.
-If this is enough of a backbend for you, stay here for a few breaths. You don’t need to go any deeper to get the benefits from the pose.
-If your spine is more flexible, drop back a few more inches and take hold of your heels. Look up to the sky, open your chest and press into the soles of your feet with your hands to keep your lower spine long. You can come up on to your toes if that is more comfortable.
-Hold the pose for 5 deep breaths, in and out through your nose.
-Take a deep breath in. Exhale, release the pose and lower slowly down to the mat.
-Rest in Child’s pose for a few breaths.

Contraindication
Avoid this pose if you have a neck, shoulder, back, hip or knee injury.

Last week, I had the privilege to be in the water for the opening ceremony for the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay. Some of the best big wave surfers of our time from all over the world were there. Some felt that the weather was gloomy due to the rain and dark gray skies, but I thought the weather was perfect for the solemn occasion of a memorial.

Despite the weather, there were several hundred people in attendance, both tourists and locals. Most of the people were talking story around their parked cars and under their tents while waiting for the event to start. The ceremony began with a beautiful Oli and Hawaiian blessing and then the host took over and introduced each of the surfers and alternates invited to the event. Two firsts were on the list of invitees for this year’s event: the first female big wave surfer, Keala Kennelly, and Michael and Mason Ho making up the first ever father/son duo.

Humble as always, John John was called up and gave a short modest speech after his fellow surfers yelled “Speech! Speech!” The land portion was just about pau, so I quickly ran back to my car, switched my camera lens, grabbed my fins, wetsuit top and headed to the rainy ocean. After I entered the water, I took a look around and was in awe. All the professional photographers were there including legendary Brian Bielmann and Zak Noyle. Fortunately some of my photographer friends including Juanito Schelling, Keoki Saguibo, Jackie Fiero, and Chae Donahue were also in the water. We patiently waited for the surfers to begin their paddle out. First came Micheal Ho and then, Ha’a Aikau leading the paddle out. Ross Clarke-Jones paddled by with a huge smile on his face carrying a ceremonial tea leaf in between his teeth. Brothers John John and Nathan Florence paddled side by side. Zeke Lau stopped for a quick portrait shot from Zak Noyle. Realizing their final destination was going to be all the way past the point, I turned around and swam at a faster pace not wanting to miss anything in the circle. I got there just in time as the surfers began to close the circle by joining hands. Michael Ho started the speeches off and it went around the group with every surfers saying a little something about the honor of being here at The Eddie. And, of course, as soon as they formed their circle, the rain stopped and the clouds began to part. Everyone in the water felt the presence of something spiritual. It was a beautiful moment watching a bunch of world class surfers simply enjoying the mana of the place and moment. After all the speeches, jokes and range of emotions, each surfer tore off their lei, yelling and cheering while casting the flowers into the air. To top it all off, everyone was blessed by a magnificent Hawaiian sunset. It was such a privilege to be there.

Makua Rothman said it all, “Mahalo ke Akua” which means thank you God. I certainly cannot speak for Mr. Eddie Aikau or his ohana, but I do believe he was looking down with a big smile.

There’s a reason Japan has been all the pow-riding rage lately. It’s just good. And these forests look magical. Thank you Travis Rice and the people who control the assets to “The Fourth Phase.” Thanks to them we get a breath, a taste, a feel even, for the magical wonderland that is the moon of Japan, where the pow is light and the face shots are many.

Tune in as the 2016 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship returns to La Jolla, California from December 8-11, for the second consecutive year.

The ISA has made improvements to the divisions and team size, as well as creating an Olympic-style team competition similar to those used in all other events on the ISA World Championship Series. Each National Team will have the opportunity to field eight athletes in the following divisions:

– Two athletes AS-1 (Below the knee and upper limb amputees)
– Two athletes AS-2 (Above the knee amputees)
– One visually impaired athlete
– One athlete Assist (Surfers who need assistance catching waves)
– One athlete Prone (surfers who ride lying down)
– One athlete Upright (surfers who ride a waveski and sit in an upright position on the board propelled by a paddle)

Additionally, each team will be required to field a female athlete in one of the aforementioned divisions, or their team will only be allowed to field seven athletes as opposed to eight.

“The historic second annual 2016 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship will continue to build on the foundation laid by the inaugural event in 2015 to promote a sustainable and successful future for Adaptive Surfing, said ISA President, Fernando Aguerre. “These athletes are an inspiration to all and each one of them has a unique story of courage and perseverance that has led them to participate in this competition.”

Hawaii has some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in the world. The clear, blue water is striking to look at, but the water surrounding Hawaii also has a big problem: cesspools.

A cesspool is essentially a capped hole in the ground used for residential wastewater discharge. Whatever comes from your toilet at home goes into this underground hole and is contained there. Because there is no waste treatment, the waste fosters pathogens, bacteria, and excess nutrients, which can seep out of the cesspool and into the nearby soil. This contaminates ground water that eventually makes its way to the ocean, threatening marine life and human health.

But many people are working to solve this problem. Watch this Seeker Stories video to find out what’s being done to curb the cesspool problem in Hawaii.

The tents are up and the mats are out, but today was all community and no competition.

As the sun rose to light up the lovely beach of La Jolla Shores in San Diego, CA on the morning of Dec. 8th, a unique group of surfers gathered at the water’s edge ready to share the stoke.

Adaptive surfers of all ages and skill levels, from all over the world donned their bright yellow jerseys, as they took to the water, some for the first time, at the Stance ISA Adaptive Surfing Clinic.

With surfboards ranging from long soft-tops to high performance short boards, some with handles along the rails, others with unique fin set-ups or shapes, the Junior Seau Foundation and Challenged Athletes Foundation provided a wide variety of equipment, so any person with any disability could find the right fit.

“The ocean frees us, it relieves us from our fight with gravity and is all inclusive,” ISA President Fernando Aguerre explained as the first group of eager participants paddled out.

With a group of 20+ volunteers in red and white rash-guards scattered from the outside peak to the inside white water, each adaptive surfer caught more than a handful of waves and came in with a shivering smile asking, “When can we go back out?”

“Even if it was a contest, the points wouldn’t matter to me,” said Mike Robbins-Waid, a San Diego local participating in the clinic. “I just love surfing. I probably got my longest solo-ride of my life today.”

As the waves kept rolling in, so did the high-fives, each surfer showcasing their own unique style. Some were prone, others a laid-back upright position, whatever seemed to work for them to feel the stoke.

William Thompson, a 9-year-old participant in the clinic, shared his excitement after getting out of the water. “I am having a blast here at La Jolla Shores. Some of the waves were big and I got barreled on a few. I felt really safe out in the water with the volunteers that were helping me in the clinic.”

Professional Adaptive Surfer, Christiaan Bailey, was sure to be on-hand to give pointers to all the up-and-comers.

“It’s always so awesome, all the kids are frothing and that’s what it’s all about,” Bailey said.

With a full helping of stoke from the morning’s clinic, the flags began to fly as the competitors gathered to represent their nation in the opening ceremony.

Seventy-seven competitors representing 22 countries and plenty more volunteers and participants strolled down the boardwalk for the Parade of Nations.

With flags waving, the teams marched toward the stage chanting their country’s mantra and amping each other up.

Toting sand from their home beach, a representative from each competing nation added a piece of their home into the “Sands of the World,” an ISA tradition for each of their events forging the unity of the surfing community.

Representatives from each country on stage with ISA President Fernando Aguerre to offically kick off the 2016 Stance ISA WASC. Photo: ISA/Sean Evans

And with the stage set, ISA President Fernando Aguerre welcomed everybody with what he called a “salt water hug” and officially began the 2016 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship.

The competition begins tomorrow morning, Dec. 9 at 8AM PST and will stream live at isaworlds.com.

Watching good snowboarders make effortless turns doesn’t get old. This is Jeremy Jones. Usually you’d see him side-hopping some impossibly steep peak in Chamonix, or Alaska, getting set up to send a dicey line. But it doesn’t have to be that way for him. This is JJ, surfing Squaw Valley, having the time of his life, on a swallow-tail made to make the carve look, and feel, awesome.

Andy Irons changed surfing forever. From his fierce rivalry with Kelly Slater to his tragic death, his life has shaped a narrative within surfing that has been told a million times over. His presence is still felt in nearly every aspect of the sport, and his name is forever etched in surfing’s history book.

In the most recent episode of Billabong’s Board Tales, Bruce Irons, Joel Parkinson, and Lyndie Irons walk us through Andy’s garage, a place that served as a storage place for many of his prized possessions. Since he died in 2010 in that hotel room in Texas, his garage has remained nearly untouched, becoming a room unsullied by time. Listen while his brother, his wife, and one of his best friends recount some of their memories of a man who died too soon.

Born and raised in one of the most mystical and unexplored towns of the Mexican coastline, I became a restless waterman. Since a young age I was passionate about the ocean, its movement, and all marine life.

Today, I’m still capturing the beauty of the ocean, and celebrating its majesty by documenting below the surface in Baja California Sur. Every single composition, its angle and exposure, are not only signs of a unique eye and creativity, but of my love for the ocean.

Today officially begins the wait period for the 2016 Billabong Pipe Masters. The contest is off for today, and for the next few days at least the forecast is looking dismal. Still, with all the fanfare associated with the last contest of the year, winters on the North Shore, and the focus on Pipe, it’s fun to reflect on those who, through the years, wore it best so to speak. It’s impossible to think of Pipeline without Gerry Lopez, the perennial zen master, coming to mind.

The edit above comes from the Encyclopedia of Surfing, and perhaps what’s most interesting about it is not the effortless style in Gerry’s completed rides, but how much style he has even when he falls. Check 00:37 when Gerry makes the drop on one, is about to pull in standing tall, and gets clocked in the head by the lip. No flailing, no struggle, he’s relaxed. He seems in tune with something fundamental about surfing, that the incomplete rides, the botched barrels, and the nasty spills are what make the good ones even brighter in the human memory bank. It’s that fundamental wisdom that causes Gerry to take failure with equal style and grace.

Watching Professional skier Mathieu Bijasson hit a line with LED illuminated skis and poles in the darkness of night is hypnotic. Yeah, it’s been done before, and might be kind of a yearly thing. But Mathieu is kinda throwin’ down (the double backy at 1:50 is pretty insane), and the green tinge he uses is other-worldly as he gives er’ a serious send, illuminating only that within his immediate vicinity.

According to PVS Company,the production outfit Mathieu works with, his version isn’t just a clever way to avoid the crowds either, it’s symbolic. “Moon Line is a project (that) focuses on his new outlook on life,” says PVS. “With the arrival of his daughter and his new role as a father, Mathieu takes this passion and love for life and rethinks his approach to night freeskiing.”

It’s working. The short has over 35,000 views on Vimeo, was a Staff Pick and has won numerous awards at festivals around the world.

With leftovers on tap in Jersey I met up with Paul Kelly for a sunrise session. This was the first morning where it felt like winter was upon us. The five mils were on, there was frost on the boardwalk and you could see your breath. I truly enjoy these mornings, as it’s the best way to set the tone for the rest of the day.

The great thing about surfing is it can take you to some achingly beautiful parts of the world – crystalline waters, lush green tropical fauna replete with some pretty crazy colorful birds. I once heard a pro skateboarder explain in an interview why he’d choose to be a surf groupie in another life. Something to the effect of, “Skaters hang behind strip malls and at cement suburban skateparks, surfers travel to the white sand beaches of Fiji, Tahiti and the like. Where would you prefer to hang out if you weren’t there to surf or skate?”

That skater, whose name escapes me, is wise. Photos of the locales that surfers get to travel to in the pursuit of waves are postcard worthy in their own right. Just ask Alex Smith. Here the dude gets some pretty amazing waves, but even the shots in between will blow your mind.

Want to see something cringeworthy? Well, look no further. Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino–both insanely talented people–just made a video featuring surfing. Or sitting on surfboards, at least. Also of note and impossible to ignore: the Underoos under the wetsuit.

]]>http://www.theinertia.com/surf/childish-gambino-and-chance-the-rapper-just-made-the-most-awkward-surf-video/feed/0Big Wave Hellman Chris Bertish Looking to Become the First Person to SUP Across the Atlantichttp://www.theinertia.com/surf/big-wave-hellman-chris-bertish-looking-to-become-the-first-person-to-sup-across-the-atlantic/
http://www.theinertia.com/surf/big-wave-hellman-chris-bertish-looking-to-become-the-first-person-to-sup-across-the-atlantic/#respondThu, 08 Dec 2016 18:07:00 +0000http://www.theinertia.com/?p=146069

Photos courtesy of the SUP Crossing, Chris Bertish and Alan Van Gysen

Paddling across any body of water–without a motor, mind you–is no easy task. But crossing the Atlantic, with its centuries-old history of sinking sea-worthy vessels is another beast all together. But Chris Bertish has no qualms about doing just that. It’s an expedition the 42-year-old has been working on for several years.

This year, however, the stars have aligned and the South African is off and paddling. Bertish, who won the Mavericks contest in 2010, is using a custom, 20-foot SUP that looks more like a small boat to cross from Morrocco to Florida, completely unassisted and self-supported. He’s currently about 48 hours in, heading towards the Canary Islands, the Spanish-controlled archipelago off Northern Africa. He’ll then start the meat of his journey across the great sea to the British Virgin Islands and then on to Florida. The entire mission will total some 4,600 miles and change.

Bertish’s SUP is shaped like a small sailing vessel because, well, it has to be to make the mission. It was designed by Phil Morrison, a British naval architect and carries a $120,000 price tag. It has a compartment where he can sleep and actually sit up and is also equipped with weather forecasting equipment, locater and GPS systems, water storage bladders, anchors and solar panels for his batteries to power on-board electronics. Its design allows it to self-right in case of capsize, a danger that derailed the last Transatlantic SUP mission by Frenchman Nicolas Jarossay, who was rescued earlier this year during the first week of his attempt, clinging to his overturned craft.

“This has been a 4-year project in the making and lifetime of preparation and I’m ready,” he said in a release. “My specialized SUP craft is incredible, I have an amazing team behind me, supporting me from land and an unbelievable support from friends and people all around the world for this incredible journey, which is going to change the lives of millions of children in Africa, which is what will keep driving and inspiring me right till the end.”

Bertish has made raising funds for The Lunchbox Fund, Operation Smile and Signature of Hope his main mission, all of which benefit underprivileged children. He hopes to raise more than a million dollars.

His expedition is not without precedence: Aleksander Doba, a Polish kayaker, has crossed the Atlantic twice in a super-modified kayak, first from Senegal to Brazil which took him 99 days and the second, from Portugal to Florida which required 167 days, 47 of which he had no contact with the outside world. One of the gnarliest kayak missions ever was Ed Gillet’s 1987 Pacific Ocean mission from Monterey, California to Kailua, Maui in a stock kayak that was supposed to last 40 days. It ended up going on for 63 in some seriously rough ocean where Gillet had no contact with the outside world and reportedly survived on toothpaste in the final days of his journey.

Bertish’s mission, if he completes it, will certainly stand up against any of these feats.

Follow Bertish on his Facebook page, here and his actual progress, here.

Robin Kegel has a style unlike anyone else’s. That’s the way it should be, although it’s getting harder and harder to define your own. In Kegel’s case, it involves a bit of strangeness, but it works for him. He’s also a shaper, and just like Kegel, his boards are a bit strange–but, also like his surfing, they work. He’s got an interesting view on surfing, as well.

“Personally, I think classic longboarding has no future,” he said in an interview with Drift Surfing. “Just as shortboarding has no future. I’ll explain. When a surfer is ready to take off and moves to walk (and pose) there’s no wave function or setup dynamic. Just as shortboarding experienced decades ago, when the approach was to engage only in the end zone of the wave, to boost tricks. Modern surfing incorporates the full use of waves and functional direction change, harnessing power and poise. Pivot fin logs and concave noseriders don’t allow themselves to be set on the rail properly. They rely on drag. There’s no future in that, the best one can do on those is get a controlled noseride or dropknee cutback. It comes down to design = function = style.”

Pipeline, and the North Shore of Oahu more generally, are absolutely magical. That’s true year round, but it’s especially true every winter. We’re here to document the beauty. We figured adding a little aerial perspective to Pipe, the world’s most documented surf spot, might be a good way to start. And, man, even from 400 feet above that reef looks razor sharp.

]]>http://www.theinertia.com/surf/pipeline-and-backdoor-look-like-magic-from-400-feet-up/feed/0Kelly Slater, Alana Blanchard, and the World’s Best Surfers Show Us How To Throw the Perfect Shakahttp://www.theinertia.com/surf/kelly-slater-alana-blanchard-and-the-worlds-best-surfers-show-us-how-to-throw-the-perfect-shaka/
http://www.theinertia.com/surf/kelly-slater-alana-blanchard-and-the-worlds-best-surfers-show-us-how-to-throw-the-perfect-shaka/#respondThu, 08 Dec 2016 07:47:29 +0000http://www.theinertia.com/?p=146050

The shaka. So simple, yet so complex. So absolutely essential to everything we know, love, and associate with surfing. Nothing says, “Hey, we’re friends! I’m happy. All good!” quite like a shaka. Barack Obama and Britney Spears agree. It’s one of those unmistakeable visual gestures that invites good vibes.

But, man, is it important to throw one correctly. There is nuance in the shaka. Fingers too taut, too wide apart, and it could very well lead to contempt. In fact, an entire (and very entertaining) Instagram subgenre has formed around this kind of thing: Haole Shaka. It’s good. One can only hope to appear on Haole Shaka before his/her days are numbered.

The proper shaka, as Kelly Slater told us, depends on context. On the North Shore, the shaka should be thrown more casually, he says. Just drop the ‘tree middle fingers on a shelf. Just leave it there. Kai Lenny calls it the Hawaiian fingerprint. No two are alike.

Because the shaka is such a gorgeous mystery, we decided to ask the world’s best surfers how they throw ’em. And we went straight to the top. Kelly Slater, John John Florence, Stephanie Gilmore, Bruce Irons, Mason Ho, Alana Blanchard, Lyndie Irons, Kai Lenny, Coco Ho, Ian Walsh, Carissa Moore, Makua Rothman, Tyler Wright, Bede Durbide, Jack Freestone, Felicity Palmateer…you name it, they told us how to throw a shaka.

So see above, then let those three fingers just sit there. Shaka, brah.

Kelly Slater and Alana Blanchard, two experts in the field, weigh in on the great shaka debate.

Everybody loves Dane, don’t they? The entire surf world loves him unconditionally. Dane Reynolds could take a shit in public, and the surf industry would laud him as a tortured, free spirit. Perhaps it’s his tousled hair and permanent expression of cute bemusement. Perhaps it’s his aloofness. Or perhaps it’s just his transcendent carves that could make you secrete bodily fluids. And while I will never criticize Dane’s surfing – for it does make me gasp and glow – I think it’s worth pointing out one or two criticisms that the surf industry will never lodge about him or his new film, Chapter Eleven. Judging by the constant outpour of gushing reviews from surf media the world over, you’d think Chapter 11 just beat out Shawshank Redemption for most impactful socially conscious film ever. While the surfing is pretty spectacular, and the art direction is interesting, the content of the voiceover, honestly, is jarring.

Firstly, and screamingly obviously, is that everything Dane says in Chapter Eleven – especially with regard to his disillusionment with tying capitalism to surfing and benefiting immensely from that arrangement – is totally undermined by advertising his new brand “Former” at the end of the piece. Did nobody really realize that Chapter 11 is actually just a commercial? Ironic, huh. It’s akin to having an AA meeting then all going out afterward to smash some shots in celebration of the meeting. It’s short-sighted at best and hypocritical as fuck at worst.

“Let’s band together and rage against the machine!” says Dane. And how? Well, by starting our own faceless, corporate entity, of course! He fronts like he’s Sarah Connor, but he’ll be shagging Arnie before we know it.

I also take issue with his little dismissive diatribe about who to thank. As he says: “I feel like I should thank Quiksilver…but who is Quiksilver? Who do I thank? Everyone I knew that worked there is gone.”

Well, Dane, unless you mean “gone” as in dead, then presumably there are human beings who helped you that you could still namecheck, whether they work for Quik or not anymore. And failing that, how about you just give a nod to the fans? An acknowledgement to the surf fans of the world who gobble up every meager scrap of surf meal that you deign to throw them like desperate, pathetic little chickens. These people have made you a millionaire because they like watching you ride a surfboard. They deserve a little credit.

Don’t get me wrong. Us, fans, are definitely interested in knowing Dane’s less-filtered thoughts around the evolution of his career, and that level of candor requires courage. It leaves Dane vulnerable to criticisms that might not feel good to hear, so bravo. Much respect there. And respectfully, it doesn’t seem like he has a rich drawing pool of issues that might inspire a short film’s worth of complaints or anxiety attacks – when contextualized from the perspective of, you know, a citizen on earth. Life can actually be really hard. Like not even coping with surf industry sponsorships hard. Just hard.

I want to know what Dane plans to do that’s different or more worthwhile? For a start, how do you plan to operate a successful business that doesn’t shit all over someone? Former, like Quiksilver, is subject to the laws of the free market and will need to eventually turn a profit and maximize its investments, too. Otherwise it will disappear.

Is that okay?

Surely the noble thing to do (if Dane truly has a deep personal conflict with the idea of attaching surfing and his likeness to a commercial enterprise) would be to disappear altogether. To walk away. Get rid of that corporate monster called Vans and the other patrons who supply that sweet surfin’ cash. Ditch it all, look after your family, surf. Be grateful that you made millions of dollars from surfing when you felt like it. Be grateful that you are a rich, white man living in an affluent coastal suburb. Be grateful that you traveled the world to surf and have had incredible experiences. But most of all, stop pimping yourself out in order to try to sell us stuff. If it’s truly so conflicting, then it’s disingenuous. Better yet, why not do your part to fundamentally change the tie between your profession and your artistic integrity and hold your head high? At its best, that’s what Former can do. Here’s to hoping that’s what it does.

Josh Kerr’s family vacations are a little different than most family vacations. Sure, you can go to the Mentawaii Islands with the wife and kids, but chances are pretty damn good when you can get away for a quick session you’re not going to be able to take full advantage of them. That’s because you’re Josh Kerr, you can’t surf like Josh Kerr.

Earlier this week, an armed man entered a D.C. pizza parlor to investigate a conspiracy theory that promulgated online. Beyond putting the lives of patrons in danger, the incident exposed the danger of fake news and the importance of the old adage, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”

Just days later, another morsel of albeit more innocuous fake news made the rounds on Twitter – an image of a shark leaping out of the water supposedly taken by Bob Burton which allegedly won National Geographic’s photograph of the year.

At first blush, it looks like an incredible shot. And definitely something that, if real, would have totally won a National Geographic photo contest. The problem is the photo isn’t real, and neither is the annual photo contest.

The photo is actually not a photo at all. It’s a computer generated stock image by Russian illustrator Alexyz3d currently available on Shutterstock.

Apparently the phony photo caused such a stir that even National Geographic felt compelled to respond.

“The man, who goes by the alias Bob Burton, claimed (falsely) to have taken National Geographic‘s photo of the year (an award we don’t have) of a shark leaping out of the water (which is clearly fake).”